andersonville-第116节

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our　chessboard　and　men。

Thus　entirely　denuded；　each　boy　was　given　a　shove　which　sent　him　into　a
little　room；　where　a　barber　pressed　him　down　upon　a　stool；　and　almost
before　he　understood　what　was　being　done；　had　his　hair　and　beard　cut　off
as　close　as　shears　would　do　it。　　Another　tap　on　the　back　sent　the　shorn
lamb　into　a　room　furnished　with　great　tubs　of　water　and　with　about　six
inches　of　soap　suds　on　the　zinc…covered　floor。

In　another　minute　two　men　with　sponges　had　removed　every　trace　of　prison
grime　from　his　body；　and　passed　him　on　to　two　more　men；　who　wiped　him
dry；　and　moved　him　on　to　where　a　man　handed　him　a　new　shirt；　a　pair　of
drawers；　pair　of　socks；　pair　of　pantaloons；　pair　of　slippers；　and　a
hospital　gown；　and　motioned　him　to　go　on　into　the　large　room；　and　array
himself　in　his　new　garments。　　Like　everything　else　about　the　Hospital
this　performance　was　reduced　to　a　perfect　system。　　Not　a　word　was　spoken
by　anybody；　not　a　moment's　time　lost；　and　it　seemed　to　me　that　it　was　not
ten　minutes　after　I　marched　up　on　the　balcony；　covered　with　dirt；　rags；
vermin；　and　a　matted　shock　of　hair；　until　I　marched　out　of　the　room；
clean　and　well　clothed。　　Now　I　began　to　feel　as　if　I　was　really　a　man
again。

The　next　thing　done　was　to　register　our　names；　rank；　regiment；　when　and
where　captured；　when　and　where　released。　　After　this　we　were　shown　to　our
rooms。　　And　such　rooms　as　they　were。　　All　the　old　maids　in　the　country
could　not　have　improved　their　spick…span　neatness。　　The　floors　were　as
white　as　pine　plank　could　be　scoured；　the　sheets　and　bedding　as　clean　as
cotton　and　linen　and　woolen　could　be　washed。　　Nothing　in　any　home　in　the
land　was　any　more　daintily；　wholesomely；　unqualifiedly　clean　than　were
these　little　chambers；　each　containing　two　beds；　one　for　each　man
assigned　to　their　occupancy。

Andrews　doubted　if　we　could　stand　all　this　radical　change　in　our　habits。
He　feared　that　it　was　rushing　things　too　fast。　　We　might　have　had　our
hair　cut　one　week；　and　taken　a　bath　all　over　a　week　later；　and　so
progress　down　to　sleeping　between　white　sheets　in　the　course　of　six
months；　but　to　do　it　all　in　one　day　seemed　like　tempting　fate。

Every　turn　showed　us　some　new　feature　of　the　marvelous　order　of　this
wonderful　institution。　　Shortly　after　we　were　sent　to　our　rooms；
a　Surgeon　entered　with　a　Clerk。　　After　answering　the　usual　questions　as
to　name；　rank；　company　and　regiment；　the　Surgeon　examined　our　tongues；
eyes；　limbs　and　general　appearance；　and　communicated　his　conclusions　to
the　Clerk；　who　filled　out　a　blank　card。　　This　card　was　stuck　into　a
little　tin　holder　at　the　head　of　my　bed。　　Andrews's　card　was　the　same；
except　the　name。　　The　Surgeon　was　followed　by　a　Sergeant；　who　was　Chief
of　the　Dining…Room；　and　the　Clerk；　who　made　a　minute　of　the　diet　ordered
for　us；　and　moved　off。　　Andrews　and　I　immediately　became　very　solicitous
to　know　what　species　of　diet　No。　1　was。　　After　the　seasickness　left　us
our　appetites　became　as　ravenous　as　a　buzz…saw；　and　unless　Diet　No。　1　was
more　than　No。　1　in　name；　it　would　not　fill　the　bill。　　We　had　not　long　to
remain　in　suspense；　for　soon　another　non…commissioned　officer　passed
through　at　the　head　of　a　train　of　attendants；　bearing　trays。　　Consulting
the　list　in　his　hand；　he　said　to　one　of　his　followers；　〃　Two　No。　1's；〃
and　that　satellite　set　down　two　large　plates；　upon　each　of　which　were　a
cup　of　coffee；　a　shred　of　meat；　two　boiled　eggs　and　a　couple　of　rolls。

〃Well；〃　said　Andrews；　as　the　procession　moved　away；　〃I　want　to　know　where
this　thing's　going　to　stop。　　I　am　trying　hard　to　get　used　to　wearing　a
shirt　without　any　lice　in　it；　and　to　sitting　down　on　a　chair；　and　to
sleeping　in　a　clean　bed；　but　when　it　comes　to　having　my　meals　sent　to　my
room；　I'm　afraid　I'll　degenerate　into　a　pampered　child　of　luxury。　　They
are　really　piling　it　on　too　strong。　　Let　us　see；　Mc。；　how　long's　it　been
since　we　were　sitting　on　the　sand　there　in　Florence；　boiling　our　pint　of
meal　in　that　old　can？〃

〃It　seems　many　years；　Lale；〃　I　said；　〃but　for　heaven's　sake　let　us　try　to
forget　it　as　soon　as　possible。　　We　will　always　remember　too　much　of　it。〃

And　we　did　try　hard　to　make　the　miserable　recollections　fade　out　of　our
minds。　　When　we　were　stripped　on　the　balcony　we　threw　away　every　visible
token　that　could　remind　us　of　the　hateful　experience　we　had　passed
through。　　We　did　not　retain　a　scrap　of　paper　or　a　relic　to　recall　the
unhappy　past。　　We　loathed　everything　connected　with　it。

The　days　that　followed　were　very　happy　ones。　　The　Paymaster　came　around
and　paid　us　each　two　months'　pay　and　twenty…five　cents　a　day　〃ration
money〃　for　every　day　we　had　been　in　prison。　　This　gave　Andrews　and　I
about　one　hundred　and　sixty…five　dollars　apiecean　abundance　of　spending
money。　　Uncle　Sam　was　very　kind　and　considerate　to　his　soldier　nephews；
and　the　Hospital　authorities　neglected　nothing　that　would　add　to　our
comfort。　　The　superbly…kept　grounds　of　the　Naval　Academy　were　renewing
the　freshness　of　their　loveliness　under　the　tender　wooing　of　the
advancing　Spring；　and　every　step　one　sauntered　through　them　was　a　new
delight。　　A　magnificent　band　gave　us　sweet　music　morning　and　evening。
Every　dispatch　from　the　South　told　of　the　victorious　progress　of　our
arms；　and　the　rapid　approach　of　the　close　of　the　struggle。　　All　we　had　to
do　was　to　enjoy　the　goods　the　gods　were　showering　upon　us；　and　we　did　so
with　appreciative；　thankful　hearts。　　After　awhile　all　able　to　travel　were
given　furloughs　of　thirty　days　to　visit　their　homes；　with　instructions　to
report　at　the　expiration　of　their　leaves　of　absence　to　the　camps　of
rendezvous　nearest　their　homes；　and　we　separated；　nearly　every　man　going
in　a　different　direction。




CHAPTER　LXXXII。

CAPTAIN　WIRZ　THE　ONLY　ONE　OF　THE　PRISON…KEEPERS　PUNISHEDHIS　ARREST；
TRIAL　AND　EXECUTION。

Of　all　those　more　or　less　concerned　in　the　barbarities　practiced　upon　our
prisoners；　but　oneCaptain　Henry　Wirzwas　punished。　　The　Turners；　at
Richmond；　Lieutenant　Boisseux；　of　Belle　Isle；　Major　Gee；　of　Salisbury；
Colonel　Iverson　and　Lieutenant　Barrett；　of　Florence；　and　the　many　brutal
miscreants　about　Andersonville；　escaped　scot　free。　　What　became　of　them
no　one　knows；　they　were　never　heard　of　after　the　close　of　the　war。　　They
had　sense　enough　to　retire　into　obscurity；　and　stay　there；　and　this　saved
their　lives；　for　each　one　of　them　had　made　deadly　enemies　among　those
whom　they　had　maltreated；　who；　had　they　known　where　they　were；　would　have
walked　every　step　of　the　way　thither　to　kill　them。

When　the　Confederacy　went　to　pieces　in　April；　1865；　Wirz　was　still　at
Andersonville。　　General　Wilson；　commanding　our　cavalry　forces；　and　who
had　established　his　headquarters　at　Macon；　Ga。；　learned　of　this；　and　sent
one　of　his　staffCaptain　H。　E。　Noyes；　of　the　Fourth　Regular　Cavalry
with　a　squad。　of　men；　to　arrest　him。　　This　was　done　on　the　7th　of　May。
Wirz　protested　against　his　arrest；　claiming　that　he　was　protected　by　the
terms　of　Johnson's　surrender；　and；　addressed　the　following　letter　to
General　Wilson：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ANDERSONVILLE；　GA。；　May　7；　1865。

GENERAL：It　is　with　great　reluctance　that　I　address　you　these　lines；
being　fully　aware　how　little　time　is　left　you　to　attend　to　such　matters
as　I　now　have　the　honor　to　lay　before　you；　and　if　I　could　see　any　other
way　to　accomplish　my　object　I　would　not　intrude　upon　you。　　I　am　a　native
of　Switzerland；　and　was　before　the　war　a　citizen　of　Louisiana；　and　by
profession　a　physician。　　Like　hundreds　and　thousands　of　others；　I　was
carried　away　by　the　maelstrom　of　excitement　and　joined　the　Southern　army。
I　was　very　severely　wounded　at　the　battle　of　〃Seven　Pines；〃　near
Richmond；　Va。；　and　have　nearly　lost　the　use　of　my　right　arm。　　Unfit　for
field　duty；　I　was　ordered　to　report　to　Brevet　Major　General　John　H。
Winder；　in　charge　of　the　Federal　prisoners　of　war；　who　ordered　me　to　take
charge　of　a　prison　in　Tuscaloosa；　Ala。　　My　health　failing　me；　I　applied
for　a　furlough　and　went　to　Europe；　from　whence　I　returned　in　February；
1864。　　I　was　then　ordered　to　report　to　the　commandant　of　the　military
prison　at　Andersonville；　Ga。；　who　assigned　me　to　the　command　of　the
interior　of　the　prison。　　The　duties　I　had　to　perform　were　arduous　and
unpleasant；　and　I　am　satisfied　that　no　man　can　or　will　justly　blame　me
for　things　that　happened　here；　and　which　were　beyond　my　power　to　control。
I　do　not　think　that　I　ought　to　be　held　responsible　for　the　shortness　of
rations；　for　the　overcrowded　state　of　the　prison；　（which　was　of　itself　a
prolific　source　of　fearful　mortality）；　for　the　inadequate　supply　of
clothing；　want　of　shelter；　etc。；　etc。　　Still　I　now　bear　the　odium；　and
men　who　were　prisoners　have　seemed　disposed　to　wreak　their　vengeance　upon
me　for　what　they　have　sufferedI；　who　was　only　the　medium；　or；　I　may
better　say；　the　tool　in　the　hands　of　my　superiors。　　This　is　my　condition。
I　am　a　man　with　a　family。　　I　lost　all　my　property　when　the　Federal　army
besieged　Vicksburg。　　I　have　no　money　at　present　to　go　to　any　place；　and；
even　if　I　had；　I　know　of　no　place　where　I　can　go。　　My　life　is　in　danger；
and　I　most　respectfully　ask　of　you　help　and　relief。　　If　you　will　be　so
generous　as　to　give　me